[Author Prev][Author Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
[Author Index (this month)][Thread Index (this month)][Top of Archive]

Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question)

Subject: Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question)
From: Ned Bedinger <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>
To: Mike Starr <mike -at- writestarr -dot- com>
Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 18:14:19 -0800

Yes, the problems of one single user could easily fall below the radar, but that isn't what makes or breaks the usefulness of noting when a table continues (or is a continuation). The thing that does it for me is the more general tendency of readers to be lulled into expecting all tables to end on the first page when most of the tables are short (fit on a single page). IIRC, Microsoft's User Ed manual design uses a different border at the bottom of a table. This simple design motif may mean you've lost some freedom of design, but it does away with any need for deciding when it is necessary to signal that a table continues on the next page. It strikes me as a form of punctuation, nothing more complicated than that.

--Ned

Mike Starr wrote:

But if we do things to anticipate the error of one user rather than the vast majority of our target audience, we'll be adding reams and reams of exceptions to our documents... they'll end up looking like they were created by the legal department from hell. Now if that one user could make a LETHAL mistake
<snip>

From: "Ned Bedinger" <doc -at- edwordsmith -dot- com>

Some design decisions are arbitrary, or based on intuition, anyway. A writer who needs a lot of hand-holding probably writes a lot of hand-holding into the manual. It would seem rather arbitrary to some of us.

On the matter of using "(Continued)", it would not take me more than one time, where I (or a reader) mis-interpreted a wrapped table, to conclude that using "(Continued)" is an element of good informational design. The cost of a mistake resulting from misreading a table might be a factor I would have to evaluate.
Mike Starr wrote:
Again, my whole point is that the use of "Continued..." is a waste of effort.




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Create HTML or Microsoft Word content and convert to Help file formats or printed documentation. Features include single source authoring, team authoring,
Web-based technology, and PDF output. http://www.DocToHelp.com/TechwrlList

Now shipping: Help &amp; Manual 4 with RoboHelp(r) import! New editor,
full Unicode support. Create help files, web-based help and PDF in up
to 106 languages with Help &amp; Manual: http://www.helpandmanual.com

---
You are currently subscribed to TECHWR-L as archive -at- infoinfocus -dot- com -dot-
To unsubscribe send a blank email to techwr-l-unsubscribe -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
or visit http://lists.techwr-l.com/mailman/options/techwr-l/archive%40infoinfocus.com


To subscribe, send a blank email to techwr-l-join -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com

Send administrative questions to admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot- Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.

Follow-Ups:

References:
Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question): From: Mike Starr
Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question): From: Ned Bedinger
Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question): From: Suzette Leeming
Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question): From: Ned Bedinger
Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question): From: Mike Starr
Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question): From: Ned Bedinger
Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question): From: Mike Starr

Previous by Author: Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question)
Next by Author: Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question)
Previous by Thread: Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question)
Next by Thread: Re: Rant continued from previous page (was Re: Another Word guru question)

[Top of Archive] | [Author Index (this month)] | [Thread Index (this month)]

What this post helpful? Share it with friends and colleagues:

Sponsored Ads